Show ONDA Y EVENING MAY 14 19 1923 3 I 1 T ni DRESS BILLS OF WIvEs I I By MRS THOMAS HARDY By the World Wide orld- orld WIde News Service Inc Are women naturally extravagant extravagant extravagant gant That Is a 0 question many a a. aman aman man must have o asked himself late late- 1 lj II owing to a certain case and ard the sago sage comment thereon of a bachelor bachelor bache bache- lor br Judge No doubt many a n man answered It In the affirmative Certainly Certainly Certainly he ho ha hail haji before him to prove his assurance a striking example of heavy expenditure upon dress drees Yet Yeta a 0 woman the woman the majority of ot women omen probably would probably would answer the Question question question ques Ques- tion In the negative Personally I should consider men mentho mentho mentho tho extravagant sex A man has many more ways of spending his money than a woman If It she spends more than Is wise on costly clothIng clothIng cloth- cloth Ing log the fact tact Is very apparent and she Is at once open to ready censure Whereas a a. man may spend recklessly recklessly recklessly reck reck- lessly without anyone being much the wiser until the culprit finds himself In the court of bankruptcy I should be bo Inclined to go further than a a. negative and to say that women were prone to meanness rather than extravagance Of course there are striking ex exceptions exceptions ex- ex and when once a woman la Is bitten with the tho craze for dressing better botter than all her fellows she seems to lose Jose her head completely and to tobe tobe tobe be unable to control her mania for spending In the few Instances of ot women's extravagance that have come under my notice the husband has always seemed curiously pow pow- erless to prevent It without gol going g to the extreme length of advertising n n the papers that he will not be re responsible responsible responsible re- re for his partners partner's debts debts a a method which I am told Is as Ineffectual ineffectual as It I is 19 clumsy Moreover all chance of married happiness for forthe forthe forthe the unfortunate couple Is forever at atan atan atan an end As men have done the chief writIng writing writ- writ Ing of ot the world hitherto it is no wonder that women women's s extravagance In dress has has' been a 0 theme with the them n particularly with a certain certain tam tain type of husband So it will be bemore bemore bemore more than ever Just at present J i I anticipate Listen to this my dear one can Imagine such a husband exclaiming as he waves his morning newspaper at t Ills his wife when the worthy couple sit at their breakfast table An evening g dress OO Could one havo believed d that any woman would be Insane enough to give such a price And to wear three throe times only Stockings at 7 a pair Shoe bill for less than a year of 2000 Monstrous Monstrous Mon Mon- One may Imagine also the mingled mingled min cain feelings of ot his wife virtuously conscious that she has never paid even a a. tenth of such prices for tor her more modest garments yet at the same time faintly regretful that it Jt was never her good fortune to dazzle dazzle daz daz- the eyes of or all beholders In crys- crys allne aUne evening dresses they may be that would cost something something something some some- thing like each time of ot WearIng wearing wear Wear- ing log or fur tur stoles the price of which would almost build a cottage for a workingman TOO FREQUENT CHANGES There Is n no no doubt that the section of society which lavishly spends sums on dress that are out of all proportion to the Income is a very dangerous one At the present moment moment moment mo mo- ment with the grave unemployment problem and the distressing short short- age ago of ot houses staring us In the face extravagance In dress when re revealed revealed revealed re- re and reiterated t to honest honc t hard working people must be en enraging enraging enraging en- en raging to the last degree also to classes other than that which Is called the tho w working class tho the hard hardworking hardworking hardworking working professional class I know that with many thoughtful thought thought- ful men the sight of advertisements ad of ot fur coats costing several thousands thousands thou thou- sands of dollars apiece arouses something like despair They consider consider con con- sider eider that there thero is no h hope for civilization If tho the women remain uncivilized uncivilized un un- un- un civilized and those who should hould be bean bean an example to their less fortunately placed sisters spend such sums oh on garments which to their mind are aro absolutely barbaric The well-to-do well women of or a former former for for- mer moo generation spent much less in proportion I Imagine than those of ot today They had costly garments no doubt but were content to went weal these year after year Fashion did not change chango so quickly then and It Itis itis itis is the constant change chango of ot fashion laid aside scarcely worn It is ob obvious obvious ob- ob that It Is In the Interests of dressmakers to be always Inventing new fashions The only remedy for tor this Is for women of taste to create their own and not to change It to any great reat extent for a long whit Extremes of fashion lead to ex extravagance extravagance extravagance ex- ex because of contrasts for forthe forthe forthe the ultra fashionable gown of one season appears the most antiquated and absurd beside another new one of the next To turn for a moment to the tho I workers also of this generation needless to say their wives 03 an and daughters laughters too spend about four times the amount on dress that their mothers and add grandmothers did One On I could e expect nothing else Of another grade there Is the hi historical historical his his- I example of good Queen Bess She he Is said to have had In her wardrobe wardrobe wardrobe ward ward- robe at the tho time of her death some thousands of or most costly dresses trimmed with pearls and Jewels and hundreds of wigs But after all there thero was only one Elizabeth and she must be allowed a little latitude ONE WITH NO NEED TO SPEND When I consider which among my friends and acquaintances is dressed In the most pleasing manner there comes to my mind the vision of a quite elderly lady whose name is still sUll famous as one of ot the most brilliant brilliant bril bril- hostesses of ot her day and whose benevolence and wise fise unceasing unceasing un un- un- un ceasing charity are a model to young and old I can never see without a thrill of pleasure that charming face always bright and smiling the still graceful figure the black dress and becoming little bonnet so quiet and so appropriate that all aU that one notices about It Is that It Is perfect and harmonious a fit setting for a radiant personality No need for her to spend thousands of dollars on dress and Jewels Her lIer own personality can attract quite sufficiently One wonders why women of the other sort do not realize real reat- ize the mistake of swamping their own individuality by their own dress dres It Is not money that produces the best result In dress Everyone must have noticed certain small children whose clothes show the loving Industry of the mother with th the most happy result I have seen the little ones of parents of ot very most charming In small means look dainty home mado garm garments while children dressed In expensive frocks obviously bought ready made fall fail to attract at allOne all One of or tho the most b beautiful and beautifully dressed women I know has most of her evening gowns made at home J toy py Y her clever maid and these cost I Imagine about tenth one of ot what a 0 fashionable dressmaker would charge chargo for similar similar simi simi- well lar gowns and look equally Although the tho husband Is Is I believe tho the richest man of my acquaintance acquaint acquaint- wife wite at work once ance ance I have havo seen his upon the tho daintiest garments pos- pos for foi her own wear wearA A little Japanese lady once ad admitted admitted ad- ad when I pressed her to tell me what she found to criticise inthe inthe In the tho women of th the West est that she was vas much amazed at the tho fact tact that tho w women men even those that were I not well to do to had their clothes made mado by a dressmaker instead of making them theta at tt home as the Japanese Japanese Japa Japa- nese nose did and also of the rapidity with which these were discarded But tho the way In which for the past year or two women of all classes have been industriously knitting Jumpers and even dresses for themselves and little dresses and suits for their children Is a hopeful sign Lon Long may this recreation recreation recreation rec rec- for such it seem to be continue The sight of ot a badly knitted Jumper Is however however- But It Is well not to pursue the topic To come to a practical conclusion 1 Tho The remarks of the learned Judge must must have amused many worn 1 men too tOe to consider carefully proportion of ot the Joint meow incon husband and wife should be j be on dress for the wife Joint Income be bo about It should certainly be less 1000 Indeed If Jt there be chU should be ample generally from one t to tOI twentieth would seem to b bright be right proportion TH THE E PLEA OF BEAUTY The proportion for or really Incomes Is I am afraid a pro Pro beyond me but In t these ese day high taxation and social right minded woman will remer reiner to quote the word wort that same Judge that tha t those who P 0 substantial means are but tr tru to use them with prudence t ity anc propriety But Du sermons are soon forge forg and one wonders how many women will lay then then- heart and be bo able to resist te teg tion when faced with the al aj ments monte of a ne new sable coat o or silken array There wi vi ways be those who will Insist to quote from an UE Un poem that has just Juit handed to me j But I am a lovely lady Although you say I shine By robbing Natures Nature's creat creator r Of apparel not mine And though Im I'm but a trestle Like the stick that creepers t t. t Who remembers the good old when men robbed banks vii nj It getting cashier Jobs first j X A. cop is a n. man In a unito think Ic I. always bu but arrives very seldom dO t. t |